A01 Key study: Kanner et al

•Aim: To investigate an association between daily hassles, uplifts and symptoms of stress AND compare the outcome with the use of the SRRS as a predictor of stress symptoms •Procedure: 100 men and women, aged 45-64 were studied. They completed the “Hassles & Uplifts” questionnaire once a month, for 10 months. They were also assessed each month using the SRRS, and completed a health questionnaire •Findings: Daily Hassles were positively correlated with psychological symptoms associated with stress. There was a negative correlation between uplifts and stress symptoms. The Daily Hassles predictor of stress symptoms than the SRRS •Conclusions: Everyday stressors are a better predictor of stress, and vulnerability to illness, than life events

Supporting study Courtois at al (2007)

•In support of the research conducted by Kanner et al. (1981), Courtois et al (2007) investigated the influence of both life events and daily hassles on adolescent drinking and smoking. They did find a correlation between these problems and life events, BUT the relationship with daily hassles was stronger. •Important daily hassles related to family problems, issues at school and self-perception. Having more daily hassles affected drug use in two ways: stressed adolescents started using alcohol and tobacco earlier (1) and became dependent on them (2)

A02: Evaluation of daily hassles and life events research

Correlational data

We cannot draw causal conclusions between daily hassles and stress related problems.However, the correlations show that there is an association and therefore a possibility that daily hassles can have negative effects on our health and wellbeing.

Cultural variations in amount of social support

Social support is a protective factor against stress and it varies amongst different cultures.Therefore there are cross-cultural differences in the statement that daily hassles contribute to health and social problems.

Retrospective dataFurthermore, research into daily hassles and stress related illness is based upon the collection of retrospective data, whereby participants are usually asked to rate hassles that have occurred over the last month. This relies upon peoples’ memories being a) accurate and b) consistent and we know that memory is, over time, neither of those things. This is a problem because it means that the data collected from participants is neither valid (since the recall of events is not accurate), nor reliable (as the recall of events is not consistent), thus challenging how useful such research is.

Supporting researchDespite such criticism, a further strength of research into daily hassles and uplifts is that it is now largely accepted that they are a better predictor of later health/ill health than life events and this is supported by research. For example, Flett et al (1995) found that major life-changing events may differ from daily hassles in the extent to which a person would seek social support. 320 students read a scenario describing an individual who had experienced either a life event or daily hassle. They then rated the support of support that person would receive and would seek from others. Those who had experienced a life event were rated as needing and receiving more social support. This presumably means that one reason why daily hassles are such a negative influence on later health is that we don’t receive adequate social support to deal with them.